In scientific examination of plants and their cellular structures and components, it is often necessary to extract certain materials for close inspection, replication, experimentation, etc. These materials include nucleic acids, proteins, starches, carbohydrates, oils, and the like. In other disciplines, it is often necessary to grind, crush, or otherwise process materials in preparation for analysis. For example, it may be necessary to grind, crush, or otherwise process a solid material such as a rock or mineral to determine its chemical composition.
An apparatus for tissue preparation is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,477, (“the '477 patent”), the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. In one embodiment of the invention of the '477 patent, an apparatus and method for preparing tissue samples for DNA, RNA or protein extraction includes a reciprocating saw mounted to a frame and connected to a plurality of tissue sample containers containing tissue samples and processing members. By activating the reciprocating saw, the tissue samples are ground by the processing members. Prior to activating the reciprocating saw, the tissue sample containers must be securely mounted to the frame.
Securing of sample containers to the frame is typically performed manually. To provide for high throughput extraction of various materials from the samples, there is a demand for automated systems and methods for preparing samples for analysis.